The Village Hidden in the Dust
by Epic.Anime.77
Summary: After the fall of her village, Toria Mio is forced to reside in the human realm. Unfortunately, the secrets of her clan are lost to her, leaving her with a puzzle she can't solve. But 'they' want her. Can Toria survive her own games? OC
1. How it Begun

Hey guys, this is my first fanfic so don't get mad at me if I'm out of character. Please read and review! Constructive criticism is appreciated.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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Toria: age 8

It was raining. Hard. My racing heart beating in time with my footsteps. I was running, from what exactly I didn't know. In my arms, my baby brother Alec stirred, oblivious to the pain and horror surrounding us. I prayed to God he didn't wake. As adorable as he is, I couldn't risk him giving us away.

The rain fell harder and the sounds were deafening. I splashed though the mud decorating my shirt with dirt, but I didn't care. This trail was the fastest way to Aline-sensei's house, located inconveniently farther away from mine. _Aline-sensei._ I hoped she was okay. She was my last hope of survival, even if I was a ninja.

I was quite talented for my age and better than everyone in my class. But, I was too inexperienced for this and I knew it. Plus, I couldn't think straight after everything that had happened. Tears streaked down my face but I hastily wiped them away. _I will not cry. I will not cry._ I bit my lower lip to distract me, a habit I couldn't break, and somehow came to the conclusion that just this once, I would cry. After all, who doesn't cry when they're forced to witness their parents' death?

It was shortly after dinner and we had all settled into our nightly routine. My mother cleaned the dishes, my father put Alec to sleep, and I prepared to do my homework. If my older sister Syria had been here, she would've helped me with my homework. Just as I was starting to understand what I was doing, we heard screams from outside. My parents rushed me into a closet with my sleeping brother in my arms.

"Protect him," my mother pleaded, "and whatever happens, I love you."

Tears were threatening to take over but were interrupted by the screams of our close neighbors. Soon after, someone burst into the room, a man I guessed, and all I could hear was the clanging of metal. I reached for the door and hesitated, deciding whether I should see this or not. Just as I opened the door a crack, I heard a bloodcurdling scream. I saw my mother's lifeless form fall to the ground and my father too. I stifled a scream. The man, my enemy, was coughing hysterically. This I knew was because of my father's poison. In a matter of seconds I heard his body slump to the floor. I listed for any more men but I heard nothing. I crept out of the closet and immediately went to my mother. I knelt by her side and took her hand. I remembered the last words she said to me and I hoped that this time, she was right.

I neared my destination as the forest began to thin out. My lungs were on fire and I was breathing heavily, but I had made it to Aline-sensei's home. As I approached the door, I heard screams echoing in the distance. I cringed and tried not to think of who it could be. That would only cause pain and I had had enough of that. I took a shaky breath and slowly opened the door.

The house was dead silent. I quickly surveyed my surroundings. Everything was where it should be so why did I get the feeling I was missing something? I figured I was a little shaken, which I was, and against my best interests, I called out.

"Aline-sensei? Are you here?"

No answer. My voice rose in panic.

"Sensei?"

I was about to begin my search for her when I sensed a strong charka in the closest room to my right. And it wasn't Aline's. _Crap._ The footsteps were coming closer. I hurriedly hid Alec in a closet and prayed he wouldn't wake up. My ninja instincts kicked in then and I reached for my kunai. I saw the door open a crack and I hoped that whoever it was, didn't notice how badly I was shaken.

When I saw who it was, I gaped in horror. There was blood everywhere. The man was drenched in blood and had a sickening scar running across his forehead. I fought the urge to puke. He grinned at me wickedly. _Oh shit. I'm so screwed!_ Those thoughts kept repeating through my head. But I did what every ninja did. Defend their ninja pride and die fighting. I knew I lacked battle experience but that didn't stop me from throwing the kunai at him. He easily dodged it and before I had a chance to grab another, he was already behind me. _He's too fast! _

I felt a hand on my shoulder and yelped in alarm. Before I could react, he threw me against the wall so hard, a few of Aline-sensei's favorite paintings crashed down beside me. I lay in a broken heap on the glass covered floor. I guessed that many of my bones had been broken and pools of red liquid began to form. I felt dizzy and numb from the pain.

The man approached me and lifted me up by the throat. I struggled to breathe but he just kneed me in the gut. I coughed out an insane amount of blood on his face and he narrowed his eyes at me. He tightened his grip on me. My air supply was going fast and my vision blurred. The last thing I heard was the man's wicked laugh as he bid me farewell.

"Say night-night, little girl."

I saw him raise his arm while clutching something sharp and metallic. I didn't fear my death anymore, I knew it was inevitable. I only feared for Alec. He was the last thought running through my mind as I fell into the depths of nothingness.

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So how'd you like it? If you want me to continue the story, Please review and add any questions or constructive criticism!

Yay cliffies!


	2. What Became of Us

Hey guys! Thanks to those for the reviews on my last chapter. It literally made my day. Hooray!

Sorry but this chapter may be a bit boring but it has some key facts I thought you should know.

Anyways, read and review please! Constructive criticism is highy appreciated!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Sasori would still be alive and Sakura would've been dead off the start.

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Toria: age 12

I awoke with a start. I was sweating and gasping for air. The nightmare kept replaying in my head. I sighed heavily and dared to glance at the clock. 1:24 a.m. _Shit._ It was way too early for this. I flopped back down on my pillow but I didn't go back to sleep. I knew by now that if I entered that realm of horror again, I'd scream so loud, it would wake Syria up. And I didn't have the heart to do that to her. Besides, I already knew what happened next. It was always an endless replay in my head.

I sighed and got dressed. I knew it was quite early but I needed to do this to keep my sanity for the rest of the day. I put on my favourite leather jacket and headed out to the forest behind our apartment. The trees instantly made me feel better. I sighed again as my breath fogged in the cold. I loved the trees, especially the ones back where I used to live. Back before I was a castaway to a world I didn't know. I remembered our life back there. The trees were so tall and full, I'd sometimes sleep up there and no one would notice. I smiled at the though. That smile quickly faded as I remembered exactly why I was sent here in the first place.

The moment I had blacked out, Aline-sensei found me and killed the man. She brought me to the hospital along with many others who were wounded. When I woke three days later, I found Aline-sensei waiting by my side. My body ached with such a pain, I wouldn't dare move. But what I had wasn't much worse than Aline's injuries. She had been greatly injured but just for my sake, she smiled, though I could clearly see how much it hurt her. Even now, I couldn't forget the look on her face as she spoke to me. An expression of sadness, regret and something I couldn't identify. She told me that I was lucky.

Without knowing it, I had released a large amount of charka during my short fight and Aline-sensei had sensed it. I sighed in relief and then thought of Alec. She saw my worried look and assured me Alec was just fine. She couldn't help but wonder about Syria. At that moment, Syria burst into the room, tears streaking down her cheeks. I looked away hastily. I knew that Syria's tears would cause me to cry too. And I couldn't handle that. Thankfully though, Syria had been in another village shopping with her friends so she escaped the fall of the Village Hidden in the Dust.

After our short reunion came to a close, Aline-sensei pointed out that I had a mark on my arm. She also mentioned Alec and Syria had one too. I could see her troubled expression. She was debating whether or not to tell me something. I was afraid to see it in case it was some sort of curse mark but I figured it wouldn't matter if it was or not. It was located on my left forearm. It was shaped like a crescent moon and shimmered in waves of silver. I didn't understand it then but now, I wasn't complete without it.

A knock on the door told us that our time here was over. Aline-sensei could see confusion on my face and briefly explained what's going on. My expressions changed from exhausted to confused and then on to sadness. I could see it in my mind's eye. My short black hair was streaked with dirt and coated in dry blood. My ratty clothes were torn and stained with blood. My piercing eyes were once a startling green, but now a faded aurora of grief.

After being sent off, I cleaned myself up and packed whatever belongings I had left. Soon enough, I met the rest of my family in front of the village's gates, looking just as crushed as I felt, though I had too much pride to admit it. Alec was squirming in my sister's arms while she plastered a fake but comforting smile on. I never noticed before but she was the spitting image of my mother. Sapphire eyes and dark brown wavy hair pulled back in a loose braid. I almost smiled at the thought. Almost.

Instead I felt a stinging pain in my chest and I fought so hard to ignore it. I felt tears at the corners of my eyes, threatening to expose me. Thankfully, my attention was needed somewhere else.

I watched in silence as the guard ninjas carved the portal markings on my right hand. I was told this was the only way to travel between the ninja realm and the human realm. I glanced at my hand which was stinging a bit from the carving. Our family symbol was a dying rose. I don't know why it bothered me so much. Maybe it was because I didn't understand it. Or maybe it was because I was afraid to know.

I vaguely listened to the rules and instructions that we were given. All I caught was that we'd have to act like a non-ninja human in their realm but for me, I was to be prepared for any missions the village could give me. I was the only ninja left in my family and there was no way we were letting Alec become one. I actually didn't mind the missions. In fact, we needed them to fund our survival in the new world. You might say I had no choice but to accept them, even if our adopted village, Konoha, was the one who assigned them.

Anyways, we ended up living in a bland apartment with Syria as our respected guardian. To help me be more like someone from this world, I had to go to a nearby high school. Syria took up a job since she really couldn't do much else here. Alec wasn't old enough for school yet so we didn't worry too much about him.

At my school, I made some friends quickly, but I was always curious to see if there was someone like me, a ninja in disguise. I suspected there were, but I had no idea how to find out. Everyday, even while I was training in the trees, I continued to wonder.

Well, who knew that I would be given that chance. Not only that, but my endless days of torturous training was either going to save my life, or destroy it.

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How'd you like it? Please Review! I'll continue the story if you want me to.

Oh, and the real action starts next chapter!


	3. Too Old for Hide and Seek?

Hello! Thanks for the reviews, even if it's just 4 and one from me. It made my day!

Anyways, I hope you enjoy because this chapter is gonna be interesting.

Read and find out!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Too bad though. *snickers evily*

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Toria: age 14 (present day)

"Toria! Wake up before I have to come up there!"

I rolled over and let out a soft groan in frustration. _Damn. _I grudgingly sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. Syria's yelling was always so disruptive in the mornings but I knew exactly what she would do. I sighed heavily and praying for the best, glanced at the clock on my bedside table. 8:26 a.m. _Oh, crap._ I was way beyond late for school since I only had four minutes until the bell rang. I sprang out of bed, fully alert now, and got ready.

I raced around the house, doing my daily routine of dressing, brushing my teeth, eating, etc. By the time I was pretty much ready, I glanced at the clock. It was now 8: 28 a.m. I grinned in accomplishment. It was my fastest time yet, I should keep a record book. Then again, being a ninja is cheating a bit. Oh well. But, even with my record beating pace, I wasn't going to make it in time.

I was on the verge of being expelled for never showing up for the first half of the day but, could you blame me? I needed sleep and rest to recover from my endless missions. It's not my fault school started so early. Today was different though. If I didn't make it to school today, my teachers threatened to expel me for bad work habits and for pretty much failing. I sighed at all the complications and with all my school stuff, I began my journey to school.

By the time I left the house, I knew the warning bell had long gone. _Shit. _I also knew there was no way I'd get there in time and getting expelled was the worse thing that could happen to us ninjas/humans. If I was expelled, we would have to move because there's no other high school close enough to our apartment. Plus, Syria isn't technically a legal guardian and the only reason we got to live here was because we used some genjutsu on the hotel manager. It's a good thing we live in such a faraway area from the rest of the city. That way, no one could sense our charkas when we used our jutsus.

"Crap," I muttered over and over again while subconsciously playing with a loose lock of hair. I began pacing while racking my brain for ideas. I figured I had 3 or 4 minutes depending on how late my teacher was today. Suddenly, a brilliantly stupid idea dawned on me and I figured it was my only chance. It was totally reckless but somehow, I had it figured to be the best in the long run.

My brilliant idea was to change back into my real ninja self and by using charka, I would teleport myself into the girl's bathroom. _Let's just pray no one is in there at the time._ I chuckled darkly. That would be hilarious. Grinning feverishly now, I dashed into the trees behind my house and made it into a clearing I liked to train in. It was far enough away so no pesky ninja could sense my charka but I had to be careful and suppress it in case somebody might. I quickly preformed a few hand signs and brushed my hand across the portal seals. I watched them glow a faint green as I reverted back to my original self.

My black hair was tied loosely in a ponytail and my stretchy but comfy black ninja outfit clung to my body. My weapons backs were loaded with kunai and a jade green katana strapped onto my back. _Sexy but deadly._ I grinned in satisfaction. I began to gather my belongings when I sensed two compressed charkas rapidly approaching. Now every ninja knew anyone with that low of charka couldn't possibly move that fast. So the only logical answer would be that these people were strong.

I hesitated for a split second deciding my next move. I chose to climb up a nearby tree. Using a special jutsu I created for training in the trees, I hid my belongings in a tree (Yes, I said _in_) and erased any traces of them. Next, I concealed my charka as well as I could and hid my presence. All of this took place in a matter of mere seconds.

You could say I got lucky (I always do, don't I?) because a split second later, two dark figures burst into the clearing. Instantly, my head began to pound. I clutched the tree for support and steadied myself. _What's_ _going on? _I took controlled breaths as I surveyed my fellow intruders. My eyes took in their slashed headbands and their remarkably obvious cloaks, black with red clouds. _Akatsuki. _I gaped in silence. _Shit._

Suddenly, the blond one with suspiciously long hair began to speak.

"Well what do you know, un. I wonder how she managed to get away so quickly," I almost thought I heard admiration in his voice, "It might be that bloodline limit Leader said she possesses. Who knows what that could do, un."

I hate to think such negative thoughts but I was almost sure he was talking about me. Even with my pounding head, I could easily recognize them both. They were Deidara, the suicide bomber and Sasori, the freaky puppet guy. I bit my tongue to keep from laughing out loud.

Before I could process more thoughts, FPB (that stands for Freaky Puppet Boy) began to speak.

"Don't be so naïve, brat. Leader would've mentioned something like that if it was important. Besides, what kind of idiot is she to release such charka that even amateur ninja could detect it?"

_What?_ I was sure I concealed my charka. I saw Deidara smirk. _Bastard._

"Her charka traces are recent, so she must still be around. If she dares to move, we'll catch it, un."

I could hear his cockiness and I felt my blood boil. _He thinks it'll be that easy, hmm? _I wanted to wipe that smirk off his ugly girly face but I knew it wouldn't end well for me. I began to imagine all the happy ways I would ruin that face of his but my thoughts were interrupted when I heard Sasori's voice.

"Let's go find her." He sounded bored. I couldn't blame him. It was a game of hide and seek. I would've been bored with hiding if it wasn't for my pounding head. I concentrated my charka up there to sooth it for now, but I still couldn't figure out a reason for it. Oh well. That'll have to wait.

As they started to walk towards me, my head escaped my flow off charka and pounded harder. They started talking again but I was too busy trying to keep my head under control. All the while thinking, _what the hell? _I struggled against my disobeying mind but I wasn't getting anywhere soon. I heard bits and pieces of their conversation but couldn't focus much on it. I managed to catch a few key points.

"…name, un?"

"Hn. Toria Mio. She… only ones left are…"

Black dots began to dance in front of my eyes. The pair was still coming closer. I sent a wave of my charka to my mind and for a few moments, calmed it down. I began to wonder, _what was that? I've never felt anything like that except-_ My thoughts were cut off when I heard what the two Akatsuki members were saying. I realized they had long since stopped walking and were looking over a file Deidara held.

"We're not supposed to kill her, right, un?"

I held my breath, waiting for the verdict. While in the background of my mind, I was thinking, _what the hell does 'un' mean?_ Still, I wondered what they wanted with me. I judged that by the way they were dressed; they stand out too much, so they this must've been planned. After a long pause Puppet Boy gave his answer. He even sounded bored and disappointed.

"No, I suppose not."

I silently sighed in relief. At least I wasn't doomed to die to these two jerks. They suddenly began searching for me again and they were getting closer to me by the second. My head screamed in agony. My mind felt like it was being ripped from my body against my will, which it pretty much was. I immediately sent a wave after wave of charka to my head. Somehow, I managed to hold myself together as the two members walked by.

A few seconds passed and I sighed in relief. Too soon, because all the pain I had been suppressing rose again and I knew I couldn't fight it and win this time. My mind was like a puppet and would no longer obey me. I gripped the tree desperately but I knew it was hopeless. Suddenly, I found myself doing something I've never done in my life.

I, Toria Mio, fell out of a tree.


	4. Living in the Past

Yo! Just to up the suspense, I'm rewarding you guys who reviewed (Thanks by the way, I loved them) with a short but significant chapter. Don't worry, I'm still gonna update soon but read this for now!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and all it's awesomeness glory!

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Toria: presently in the past

I gazed out the dirt stained window. My elbows propped on the windowsill, supporting my lazy head. The room I was in now only had one small circular window while the rest of the sand coloured walls were left bare. This was something I hardly noticed or cared. My attention was more directed as the scenes of everyday life below me unfolded its wings and flew.

There was a child, young and ambitious, racing through the dusty streets with his parents following close behind. A strange feeling erupted within me and coursed through my chest. I absentmindedly clutched the place where it hurt, but I knew it was the one place I couldn't reach. It's been happening so often now, even Granny Chiyo was beginning to worry. No matter, there was nothing she could do; it was beyond her reach. These feelings that are so new to me, I am never without fear. Nothing could sooth this aching pain, this empty void left behind to rot in hell.

My eyes were fixated on the boy whose features were stretched into a cheeky grin. Now, I watched as he slipped and fell face first into the dirt. I watched as his parents rushed to him, worry clearly etched on their faces. I watched as the boy's cries gradually turned to sobs. And then I watched as hand in hand, the now happy family walked away.

I sighed and reluctantly turned away from the window. I made my way to my bed and soon found myself lying on my back facing the ceiling. I watched as the ceiling fan revolved in circles. Over and over again. I let my eyes close in hopes of banishing these awkward feelings. _Is that what love is? _I found myself thinking, _an endless cycle untouched and unbroken. How strong it must be, to rid the world of pain and loneliness if only for a moment. But, _I added as an afterthought, _one moment is enough. _

I gently rolled over and covered my feeble little body with my blanket. Like a barrier to protect me against something that didn't exist. I snuggled under the covers, looking for warmth and comfort but found none that could ease my pain. So instead, I took a deep breath and found myself speaking in a voice not my own.

"So is there no love for me?"

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oooo! What's gonna happen? What's going on? Find out in the next chapter. I'll explain everything then. Anyways, review please!


	5. Playing Games with Deception

Yo mah Homies! (Sorry, in a sugar/gangster rush!)

Just wanted to thank you guys for the reviews and to whoever is reading this. It makes me happy!

I noticed that I update pretty fast but don't expect me to keep up. I'm nearing the end of my weekend and you all know what that means! School, Boo, I know.

Anyways, please Read and REVIEW! You want me to be happy don't you? (insert puppy eyes)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I wish I did.

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Toria: present day

I awoke fairly disoriented and confused. _Where am I? _My mind was fuzzy as if it'd worn out. _Well it had,_ I realized with a jolt as I sat up abruptly. Almost immediately, my body groaned in pain. _Ouch. _I winced but shook it off. I was trying to recall yesterday's (was it yesterday's?) encounters. _Oh yeah, now I get it. _First, the Akatsuki who were suspiciously in the clearing, I assumed they were searching for me. Then, the odd pain in my head that came with it. _What was up with that? _

I tried to use my brain but I gave up after a while. It seems like I literally short circuited it. Nothing made sense to me anymore. I took a deep breath and let it out in a heavy sigh. By now, my eyes had adjusted to the barely lit room I was in. I couldn't make out much, except for the bed I was currently in and the stone walls surrounding me. _Wait, stone? Where the heck am I? _

After a long moment of doing nothing but twiddle my thumbs, I figured I might as well find out where I was and why I'm still alive. Hesitantly, I rolled to the side of the bed but ended up gasping in pain. My body burned and ached in places I didn't think possible. Gritting my teeth so I wouldn't let my captors hear me, I slowly brought myself into a sitting position. I quickly did a self evaluation and concluded that my captors had healed any major wounds, but they decided to let me live. _I guess I won't be moving soon. _So now, I was stuck here. Then again, it did give me time to properly assess and analyze the situation.

I sat on the bed, thinking as hard as I have ever thought before. And suddenly, I had a thought. _What was that dream I was having? It was too real for my types of dreams but the only explanation would be… but that can't be, right? _My mind was racing, trying to avoid my previous thought and draw a reasonable conclusion but surprise surprise, I found none.

The only reason, the only logical explanation that made logical sense, would be if my Kekkai Genkai had activated on its own.

"Impossible," I breathed in a barely whisper. _My Kekkai Genkai can't activate by itself. There's no way._ Actually, in reality I had no ideal background information about it. All I know is from experience with Aline-sensei at first and then from what I learned by myself. This ability of mine, or my clan's, was very unusual and difficult to explain. But this was the bottom line:

I knew I had the ability to "become" someone if I came in skin contact with them. I would temporarily "become" them in their past, present, or future. But, to venture into their past or future, I would have to lose consciousness for who knows how long. And that could be risky and not to mention, dangerous. For venturing into the present, I still had control over my body even though my mind was technically there.

And this is why it made no sense.

I had absolutely no doubts that the "dream" I just had, was me venturing into Sasori's past when he was still a human child. But the odd part was, I never came close enough to be in skin contact with him. Even if I had done it intentionally, I would've chosen the present (I usually have control over which I chose) and it wouldn't have been so risky.

I sighed in exhaustion. All this deep thinking was making my brain hurt, as if it wasn't dead enough. Ignoring the rising protests from my body, I allowed myself to flop back onto the bed. I groaned in agony, even if it was my fault in the first place. I was getting immensely fed up with this. I closed my eyes and tried, one last time, to fit the pieces together. No such luck. But, by now I had summed up my confusion into two basic questions.

One, just what secrets of my clan have I missed out on? And two, why was I drawn into Sasori's past? Ready to go back to sleep, I rolled over and suddenly heard footsteps approaching. I froze. _Crap. Why now? Does the world hate me? _In case you were wondering, the answer is most likely "yes." The footsteps grew louder and I tensed. Judging by the footsteps, I guessed the person to be a man who was just a little bit taller than me. Then again, most of the Akatsuki members were men. _Damn sexist Akatsuki._

The footsteps stopped right outside my door. At the last minute, I forced my expression to be passive and self-instructed myself to stay quiet. The door swung open without a sound as blinding light flooded the room. I stood dazed, if only for a second, and regained my composure. I dared to glance at the figure by the door. It was a man, big surprise, wearing the infamous Akatsuki cloak, another big surprise. Without shock, though I was feeling some on the inside, I instantly recognized him to be the equally infamous Itachi Uchiha.

My face remained expressionless, as promised, but I could feel my stomach churn in hatred for this man. _Damn murderer._ His voice even sounded like a murderer's voice (don't ask me how) when he spoke in that monotonous hum.

"Come," _What am I? A pet dog? That's insulting,_ "Leader wishes to speak with you."

Being careful not to look into his eyes, I could easily tell he held no expression. I grit my teeth and hesitated. I wonder what he'd do if I said no-

"Do I have to make you?"

His seemingly bored voice held a hint of annoyance. He was starting to piss me off, but I didn't show it. After all, that would mean losing to an emotionless brick. And I have to uphold my pride, don't I? So instead, I casually sat my butt back on the bed and with an equally unemotional voice, I replied.

"What for?"

After a moment's hesitation, I was suddenly pinned against the floor. _Shit. Another fast one. _I could see, or rather feel, that I couldn't move and with my weakened state, I stood no chance. At this point, I saw his famous red eyes activate and I knew I was screwed. That was, until I realized he was gripping my bare wrists with his bare hands. Immediately, I activated my Kekkai Genkai.

Instantly, I was viewing the scene from Itachi's point of view. I commanded my body to look frightened as Itachi's/my Sharingan was activated. "I" was puzzled but did not show it. _Why does it not work on this girl? Interesting. _I pulled back and released my grip on her, my Sharingan deactivated.

The moment he broke skin contact with me, my mind was flung back into my body. To keep up the act, I started gasping for air like I had been holding my breath the whole time out of fear. _Good, let him underestimate me._ I was smirking on the inside. Then I started thinking about what just happened. _Just what did he find so 'interesting?' _I glanced over at him; his eyes were back to their original charcoal colour. And his expression, nothing, it was unreadable.

"Let's not keep Leader waiting," his cruel twisted voice pierced through the air as he left the room.

_This Leader, just who is he? _I crossed my arms and began to pace back and forth in the cramped room. Soon enough, I heard his footsteps stop and wondered if Itachi could glare through walls. If so, he'd probably be glaring at me. I smirked, but I figured I should meet this "Leader." I spun on my heel and as casually as I could, I made my way to the door.

I heard an impatient grunt in the hallway. I felt like laughing out loud, but of course, that's how I would get myself killed. I liked making him wait because my 'casual' is also my 'slow and painful.' _Pathetic. _I sighed and entered the hallway, only to find Itachi glaring daggers at me and looking really pissed off. _Shit. Did I say that out loud? _

I kept a passive face but it was a struggle. I, being the cocky self that I am, would've probably laughed if the situation wasn't so dire. But instead, I forced my voice to be calm and collected as I smiled in the sweetest way.

"Shall we?"

I knew this was going to be fun.

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So, how'd you like it? Good? Bad? Doesn't matter. Just review!


	6. Losing Before The Games Have Begun

Hey! Sorry I haven't updated and all but you know how it is, homework, school. Yup.

Anyways, here it is and please REVIEW because I haven't gotten very many.

Oh and on that note, I want to thank redsoul411 for the constant reviews and you totally make my day! So thank you so much and keep reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, the Akatsuki wouldn't all be men. Poor Konan.

Anyways, read and review please!

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Toria: playing the game right

Wordlessly, I followed my agonizingly silent companion/kidnapper as he led me through the base to meet this "Leader." Usually, I didn't mind the silence, but now, I needed to be distracted from my whirling thoughts. In desperate hopes of directing my attention elsewhere, I began to hum. I could tell my humming was getting on Itachi's nerves, it usually does, but I ignored him as I studied the walls.

Surprisingly, the hallways were well-lit, something I didn't expect in this ridiculous cave of a hideout. What I found fascinating were the shards of stone embedded into the walls. They shone with varying shades of green and, I knew, would catch in the sunlight should the chance ever come. _I guess there's beauty under dirt after all,_ I thought then added, _It's so out of place here, especially for criminals like-_

"Ow."

My thoughts were annoyingly interrupted when I accidentally walked into Itachi. I hadn't realized he had stopped and was now glaring at me. (My ninja skills suck. Even now, I question them) Sheepishly, I smiled apologetically and mumbled a "sorry." He didn't look satisfied and I couldn't blame him but his eyes remained on me as he knocked on the door. It resonated with a rich wooden sound and echoed in the halls. _Wow, everything in this base is so out of place._

"Come in," a gruff voice called from behind the door. No doubt this was the "Leader."

The door opened without a sound and I hesitated. Glancing around the room, I noticed all the Akatsuki members, at least the ones I know of, present and standing in a uniform semi circle. Once, I caught sight of a certain redhead, I felt my optimistic mood slip away. _Oh shit._ I had totally forgotten about Sasori and as if in agreement, my head began to throb lightly. Sending a fleeting glance at Itachi, I saw how amused he was at my reaction. _Sadistic bastard._

Taking a deep breath, I refused to let the speechless wonder have the satisfaction of me being scared. _It's my pride after all._ I made my way to the center of the room and stood to passively face "Leader." With every step closer, my head just pounded harder but luck was on my side today. Sasori was in fact, the farthest from where I stood making the pain bearable and unnoticed.

I watched in silence as Itachi made his way to stand at the edge of the semi circle and beside his blue man-fish of a partner, Kisame. Now, I could feel everyone's stares on me and I stared back. Breaking the stone cold silence, "Leader" began to speak.

"Welcome," he greeted me in a gravely tone, "to the Akatsuki. I am your leader, Pein, but Leader to you."

It took a moment for that to sink in as my emotionless face changed to a state of shock. I was prepared for a lot of things, torture, fights, even death, but not this. _Whoa, wait a minute. Why is he welcoming me? And wait, who said I would follow his orders? Who does this bastard think he is?_ I felt my blood boil, but before I could open my mouth to back sass him, Pein was already talking.

"You will join, dear Toria, by force if we must." He sounded so demanding. I knew he wasn't joking.

Silently, I cursed myself. _Crap. Either way, I'm going to have to go against my pride, my dignity. But, then again…_ I mentally smiled wickedly. On the outside, I was giving them all blank stares. _What are the chances of escaping now?_ Being S-ranked criminals, they have to be faster than me. Plus, I have no weapons with me right now and with the current state my body is in, it'll be Hell all over again. I bit my lip in thought.

"What is you answer, girl?" _Impatient, is he?_

Everyone was eyeing me suspiciously for taking so long. _Can't have that now can we? _So, I let my answer be a heavy sigh and a glare into his ringed eyes surrounded by those horrid emotastic piercings. Against my pride for now anyways, I had to give him what he wanted.

"I suppose… I must agree."

Pein merely nodded as though he expected this all along. _Damn emo bastard._ I grit my teeth in frustration. I just took a major blow to my pride! _I'm going to kill somebody! _But of course, I couldn't do that now. They were my fellow members after all. I grimaced in disgust. If Pein noticed, he didn't show it.

"Understood. You have been assigned a room and Itachi will escort you there after we finish up here."

I just nodded but _Crap! There's more! _

"Furthermore, you must complete a test to prove your worth to the Akatsuki."

I had frozen up at this point. First they kidnap me, and now I go to Hell and back.

"T-Test?" I repeated meekly.

I heard Deidara snort. _Bitch. He'll be the first I kill._

"That is correct. It is nothing more than a simple sparring match against one of the other members. Noon, tomorrow. Don't keep us waiting. It would not, suffice it to say, be in your favor."

I quickly scanned the room, gauging the other members' abilities from what I know so far. It didn't look like I stood a chance. _Shit._

"And who might my opponent be?"

I was praying it was someone who knew little about me so I would at least have a chance at defending my pride. Then again, luck hasn't been on my side at all today.

"Your opponent?" He sounded amused.

I nodded in response. _Come on, come on, come on, _I chanted silently though I don't know what I was hoping for.

"Your opponent is…" I held my breath. "…Sasori."

After a small moment of hesitation, I literally mind-freaked out. _Ho-ly shit! _There couldn't have been anyone worse than him to fight. Now, I was sure, I stood absolutely zero chance against him. I had a major disadvantage in this but luckily, he didn't know it. Even so, my fight with him could blow my cover here. _Shit._ My mind was overloaded.

A few minutes passed and I calmed down a bit. There was a way I could get through all this, but what is it? This was really not my day. But, I had faith in myself to get pass this unappreciated obstacle and restore my pride. _And then…_I smirked, _Tomorrow will be Hell. _

Pein dismissed the meeting and in a cloud of smoke, disappeared. Konan following suit. The rest of the members stayed a little bit longer to talk amongst themselves. I noticed Itachi motioning me to follow him and reluctantly, I did. But, being the dramatic cocky girl that I am, I stopped shortly after following Itachi and turned to face the other members. I made eye contact with Sasori, who smirked at the thought of beating me.

Using my most innocent smile, I challenged him.

"Let the games begin," and I walked out.

Inside, I was glowing. Unknown to the rest of the members, I wasn't only addressing Sasori; I was addressing all of them. I smiled in triumph. What they also didn't know, was that it had already begun.

If Itachi noticed my expressions, he didn't comment on it. _But first tomorrow, _I walked in thought, _who said I couldn't have fun in Hell?_

And for the first time since coming here against my will, I truly smiled.

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So, how was this chapter? I'm not quite sure how to make a fighting scene but I'll see how it goes. Stay tuned, because next chapter is gonna hold a surprise.

REVIEW PLEASE!


	7. Welcome to Hell, May I Take Your Order?

Hey guys! I was a little disappointed with the lack of reviews but I understand how some people are just too lazy to do it (I do that sometimes).

Anyways, this chapter is a little longer than normal and I'm wondering if I should add some sort of twisted romance. Tell me what you think okay?

And if you've noticed, I changed the summary to make it fit the story more. If something confuses you, write it in your review and I'll get back to you!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (I'm getting tired of writing this every time so remember it and apply it to the other chapters that follow)

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Toria: watching the sky fall

_Just what exactly have I done?_ I wondered as I lay on my back. I wanted so badly to sleep but I feel like I've forgotten how. I rolled over and sighed. _I'm such an idiot, I mean really. _I was playing the game the sneaky way, my way. I was so sure they'd underestimate my abilities, which they are, while I found a way to escape. Sure it seemed so quick and easy at the time, but I forgot to account for one important factor.

I have no ways of escaping this hell hole.

Everyone here was likely to be faster than me and I was clearly outnumbered. I couldn't use any jutsus because they'd sense it in an instant and come after me like bloodhounds. I couldn't even open the portal back home, for someone had somehow erased my portal markings. Now I had truly lost myself.

If they found out what I'd planned to do, they wouldn't hesitate to kill me. Heck, they'd probably be laughing as they did it. I sighed in desperation and closed my eyes. Eventually, I drifted off to sleep knowing full well what tomorrow will bring.

Welcome to Hell.

* * *

Toria: presently present at the training grounds, awaiting her fate

I was right. This is Hell. I was standing fairly close to Sasori and, you guessed it, my head was already killing me. _Way to lose before the match begins, Toria!_ The rest of the Akatsuki members stood off to the side, silently judging me. The rules were quite simple.

The first one to knock out or kill the other wins.

I shuddered at that. Sasori noticed my discomfort and smirked. I glared at him in return. That seemed to amuse him even more. I grit my teeth in frustration. _How the hell am I going to win?_ Before I could plan my first move, I heard the distinct shout of Pein telling us to begin.

Instinctively, I leapt backwards as far away from Sasori as I could get. While doing so, I sent a barrage of kunai in his direction. He easily dodged backwards and whipped out a scroll from behind his back. A poof of smoke appeared and with it, an unfamiliar puppet. _I'd better be careful. Who knows what that thing can do...?_

Sasori's puppet then opened its mouth and shot a shower of poisoned-tipped senbon at me. Gracefully, I jumped up as I dodged them, landed easily on a branch hanging overhead. I smirked. _This is my territory. _Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Sasori's puppet emanating with toxic gases. _Shit. _One breath of that and it would be "Game Over."

I attempted to move out of his line of fire but soon found that I couldn't move my feet. _Oh shit. _I dared to glance down. Sure enough, there was fine charka strings wrapped tightly around my ankles. _When did he- oh. _I struggled but it was no use.

Hauntingly, the green cloud crept closer by the second. It was a mere 10 seconds away.

"Can't have you running away, now can we?"

I heard his smug tone but found that I was trapped in a one-way corner. I bit my lip in frustration to calm myself down. I tend to make rash decisions when I'm angry. But this was very bad. I had but two options and 5 seconds left. Option one, let the poison kill me and lose to Puppet Boy. Or I could use my specialty jutsu that may or may not give away my plans, which ultimately would get me killed.

I chose the latter.

Placing one hand on the trunk of the tree, I concentrated my charka and forced it into the tree. _2 seconds. _The tree seemed to warp at my touch and instantly, it was almost like I had merged into the tree. But that wasn't the case here. I had merely opened a dimension hole and had entered the tree's shadow.

I sighed in relief for the green cloud descended on the place where I had once been. I glanced over at my befuddled opponent. I saw a flicker of confusion before his emotionless face returned. I smiled.

This particular technique was a specialty of mine and worked the best on trees. Don't ask me why. It was the ultimate escaping jutsu but required quite a bit of charka. Even now I was feeling weary. Nevertheless, my charka signature was untraceable because my being was essentially in the Shadow Realm. Yes it's that cool, it gets a name.

Quickly performing hand signs, I opened a miniature shadow wormhole and entered it. Instantly I was behind Sasori but for enough away so my head wasn't threatening to kill me. He was still in my range of view but unfortunately, I could only see in black and white here which can make things a perception problem.

But that's what makes the shadows so interesting.

They can't hear me, but I can hear them. And luckily for me, it only costs charka to enter, leave, and shadow-portal in this dimension. This could leave the game at a standstill. Right now, I didn't have immense charka to spare so my jutsus were limited. I wasn't sure what would happen should I run out of charka before escaping here. I assumed you would be stuck here forever seeing as your charka doesn't regenerate. But it's not for me to find out.

So, I began strategizing. From what I assumed, Sasori is a long ranged fighter with his puppet but can be all ranged since he himself is one. I was more a close ranged assassin type fighter which left me at a disadvantage, not that I already wasn't at one. Plus, I only have ranged jutsus that are too risky to use here. _So yes, this was very bad. _I couldn't really get close to him unless I could knock him out in one shot and it would be next to impossible to catch him off guard.

_Oh hell, I'm stuck._

"Enough of these childish games," I heard Sasori call out.

I could tell he was annoyed and his patience was wearing thin. I took my time in observing the rest of him. He was in a defensive crouch with his puppet on standby. He was obviously on high alert searching for me. He was like those cute little boys searching for their lost puppies.

I stifled a giggle. _Well he is cute_–_ What the hell am I thinking? _Wondering just what I was thinking, a risky idea that could work came to me. I grinned. It was worth a shot!

Preparing my charka, I figured dwelling in his past wouldn't kill me so long as I won. _Better now than never._ I pushed charka into my feet as I use a shadow-portal, making me almost instantly appeared behind sasori in his shadow. He didn't seem to notice but I felt my head hurt like someone had thrown a boulder at it.

Swiftly and immediately, I focused a large reserve of my charka to numb the pain but kept enough for my checkmate move. _It's all or nothing now._ Manipulating the charka strings I'd attached to the kunai I threw earlier (Sound familiar?), I jumped over his head in a fluent motion.

I must applaud him for his excellent reflexes, but mine were better. By the time he acknowledged my movements and moved a finger, my charka strings had already pierced through his human core. He was paralyzed.

Making hand signs of my own, I bit my thumb for blood and drew a dying rose on the palm of my hand. I finished the jutsu by forcing the palm of my hand into his chest. Instantly, I felt woozy but the expression on his face was worth it. He showed shock and then confusion. I smiled in triumph as the jutsu took full effect and he collapsed. I was on the brink of collapsing too, but I forced myself to trudge back to my astounded audience.

I couldn't blame them for feeling a bit confused. I'll admit that I was too. _How did I win? _And soon remembered something, D_id I just give myself away? _Vaguely, I heard Pein clear his throat and announce me the winner. As expected, I heard no emotion in his voice. It figures. I didn't hear the rest because I collapsed in exhaustion.

I don't even remember if I hit the ground.

* * *

Toria: amnesia?

I awoke groggy and uncomfortable. I was lying on my bed and my muscles ached. _Déjà vû__, eh?_ I didn't feel like getting up but a note I soon found changed my mind.

_Toria,_

_Do not make us wait._

_Leader_

"Good morning to you, sunshine," I muttered. Couldn't he be a little more specific?

As painful as it was, I somehow managed to make it to Pein's office. Inside, the usual Akatsuki members were already waiting for me, minus Sasori of course. I nodded a quick greeting as I turned my attention to Pein. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, not sure what to make of me.

"You passed." _Oh whoop-de-doo. I still feel like shit. _

What was even worse was that everyone in the room was suspicious of my abilities so they were all watching me like hawks. I suspect Itachi is watching me even more carefully.

"You are now an official member of the Akatsuki and as such, you will be given a cloak" –something was thrown into my face– "and a new partner."

Thankfully, that wasn't thrown at me too. _A new partner? I wasn't aware of any other members besides the ones present right now._

"A new partner?" I mused out loud. I hadn't expected an answer, I was just thinking out loud.

"You will find out soon. He is expected to return from his mission shortly."

_Great. Another guy and one I've never heard of._

"You are all dismissed."

I nodded hurriedly and went to my room. I threw the cloak on the floor in disgust. _Like hell I'll wear that. _Yes, my pride was acting up again. It was also against addressing Pein as "Leader."

Flopping on the bed face-first, I sighed into the blanket. I rolled on my back to face the ceiling.

"Great," I muttered, "Another jerk I'll have to deal with." I scowled in frustration.

"Oh, so now I'm a jerk?" asked an oddly familiar voice from the doorway.

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There's the surprise I promised. Who could it be? And what is he/she doing here? Find out next chapter!


	8. New Faces or Old Tricks?

Hey guys! Sorry for the wait but I would've gotten this out sooner but something was wrong with my internet. So.. yeah.

Anyways, the next few chapters will be shorter than usual but I'll update them sooner. It's because they were all one chapter but it seemed too long.

Anyhoo, enjoy this chapter and review! (Constructive criticism is also appreciated)

Disclaimer: (I hope you remember)

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Toria: presently meeting her only hope or disaster

My mind was racing in time to the pounding of my heart. _What the hell? _I mouthed the words silently. I was afraid, for once, of the unknown mystery behind this person. He completely caught me off guard, a fatal shinobi mistake, and now my mind fumbled for an explanation.

I bit my lip to keep from yelling in protest. _There's no way! _Unfortunately for me, the world hates me. My new partner in this hellish organization was none other than the only friend I used to have. Skye Bluegrass.

"H-How?" I managed to stutter. This was unusual. I never stuttered.

I'll have to admit, I didn't think this was possible. In fact, I would've passed it off as some kind of sick joke made to break me, but I knew better. The person standing before me was no joke, no illusion, but the real Skye. However, he might as well have been a stranger to me.

Back in the human realm, back where I was safer, I'd met Skye at my first day of high school. He was my savior of loneliness. He was the only one who dared talk to me; the rest shunned me for being different. At least, they thought I was different, but they had no idea how right they were. Skye didn't believe in first judgments so he thought better of me than everyone else. He basically taught me how to survive the human realm. I learned how to 'live' there. And now, he was teaching me how to hate.

Throughout all those countless talks, jokes, and games, I'd ruled out the possibility of Skye ever being a ninja. But now it seems I couldn't have been more wrong. To be able to throw off my judgment, he had to be highly skilled and more importantly, dangerous. _But just how dangerous was he?_

"Surprised?" Skye was smirking at me as he leaned against the door frame. I could tell he enjoyed my reaction. _So he was a sadist now?_

"If you were wondering, I am indeed a fellow member, it's quite simple really."

I gave him a blank expression. I was still getting over the shock of this…this betrayal. Skye was still talking but I wanted to shut him out. I didn't want to hear this but I somehow knew I had to.

"What I didn't expect," he continued, his voice laced with disgust, "was that the Akatsuki would let such a weak pathetic crybaby girl who barely qualified as a ninja in their organization."

Those words stung and I felt like I'd just been slapped. Immediately, I was released from my shocked state and anger held me in its grip. _How dare he? That bastard! _This was beyond betrayal. The Skye I thought I knew, no, the Skye he pretended to be, was so sweet and trustworthy. Nothing like this cold-hearted murderer I see now.

"I'm no traitor. You're just a failure that looks with her eyes shut." His voice held hints of the stone cold truth mixed with a trace of disgust.

I didn't want to believe it but I knew it was true. _What have I become? _If I was watching this scene unfold in third-person, I would've seen how pathetic I was. Look at me. I've let my emotions through, something a ninja would never do. _How can I trust my own judgment now? _It's almost like he could read my mind perfectly-

"No, I don't read minds." _That explains a lot._

"I'm an analyst, of the sort. I'm sure you already know, there's no use hiding things from me."

I grimaced in hatred. _This is bad. _If he can analyze me better than I can, it won't take him long before he finds out that I'm going to escape.

"Planning something?"

I stiffened. _Shit._

"Don't worry, I won't rat you out just yet. But we are partners so there's no use keeping secrets from me."

I shifted uncomfortably. The way he said it was almost as if he already knew.

"Like I said, don't worry. Though I do believe we haven't been properly acquainted yet. And yes, I would love to see what exactly it is that you can do."

I blinked. _What? Another test?_ I shook my head in an attempt to clear my head. _Get a grip! You're already falling into his hands like putty! Don't let him get to you. _I frowned. I think it was too late for that. Skye seemed to know everything about me. Everything. In less than five minutes. So just how dangerous was he?

Heeding all my personal warnings, I was actually smart enough to do as he said. I followed him out the door. I didn't realize that in doing so, I may've just signed my own death wish.

* * *

How was it? Yes, I know it was extremely short but possibly tomorrow or later on today, I'll have the next one out.

REVIEW please!


	9. Betray the Betrayal

Hey guys! I am so so so sorry for not updating when I said I was going to. I was just really busy with homework and projects all this week so forgive me please!

Anyways, for all you silent readers, I know you are reading my story and it wouldn't hurt to tell me what you think about it. It wouldn't kill me if you didn't like it. I'll improve it if that's what it needs. Just please review!

Hope you aren't too confused or hate Skye for the way he just is.

Enjoy and REVIEW!

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Toria: in the field with Skye

I was, without a doubt, totally unprepared for what was to come. The day was calm and it made me uneasy. The grass swayed in rhythm to the wind which carried no scent. I was all alone with a criminal.

My expression must have shown on my face for Skye started to laugh. _Wait, laugh? _I was shocked. Again. Why would he be laughing? I searched his face for any clues but I found none. When his eyes met my gaze, I regarded him with a cold stare.

"Don't pretend to hate me," he stated much to my annoyance.

I raised an eyebrow at this. _Pretend? Like you give me a reason to._

"You are nothing but a stranger to me; a traitor," I let the venom seep into my words.

He looked away, breaking his perfect, masked façade of his. Now I was confused. Why is he acting like…like he's -

"Depressed, guilty, lost, sad? It's your choice."

I almost jumped at his voice. _How did he –_

"I don't like to repeat things twice. It's rather tedious," his voice was nothing but a monotone.

_Just what is going on here? _He smiled a ghost of a smile but I couldn't tell if he this was all some joke to him. It could be a game to him. Or maybe this is the test he was talking about. Then, what exactly is he testing me on?

"No need to strain your brain for this, I'm not doing anything," he stated in an amused tone.

I gave him a skeptical look. This was really getting on my nerves. _How does he just know what I'm thinking? Am I that obvious?_

Skye merely sighed. "You're wasting a lot of time. Why don't we start with a question? You first," he instructed.

_Where exactly was this going? _I had so many questions to ask him and no doubt the answers he gives will be nothing but lies. _Then why…is he asking me to do this in the first place?_

"Why are you here?" I heard the words before I had even thought them.

He looked thoughtful for a moment but even I could see it was an act.

"It was my decision."

_So he chose to be one of them! But why?_

Even in my mind I could hear the disgust creeping into my voice.

"Why?" I managed to spit out. _Stop it Toria! Calm down. _But I couldn't. The sight of Skye made me sick to the stomach.

"Do not loathe me so, it is rather unpleasant. If you must know, there's nowhere else I need to be, nor do I care to be."

The cold tone of his voice made me hesitate. _So I've been 'friends' with nothing but an emotionless bastard who plays me like a game? What have I become?_

"How long?" I spat out through clenched teeth. I could've sworn his eyes flashed with something unpleasant.

"Since I was alive to see a full moon rise," he answered simply.

_So it was true. _All that time we spent together, he was nothing but a fake; a liar.

"Don't hold such hatred bottled up, it gives no benefit to your sanity."

I heard the double meaning in those words. _He wanted me to hate him. _I didn't have a single clue as to why but I knew I couldn't hate him. As much as I wanted to, it was impossible. And I had no idea why.

Plus, this 'Skye' was so different than the other side I've seen. This one, the one right in front of me, was somewhat nicer and ten times for annoying with his philosophical means of speech. I didn't know if the one I was dealing with was just another act or not. For all I knew, I could be giving him exactly what he wants. _Just…what exactly does he want?_

I dared to glance at Skye again. Somehow, the look in his stormy grey eyes made it clear to me that talking was over. And with the answering of a few of my questions, I just gained thousands more. I felt my mind seethe in anger. _Wait, _I shook my head to clear my thoughts; _ninja are nothing more than emotionless tools. I am one of those tools._

For the rest of the day, we trained in silence. Every so often, Skye would give me certain instructions that I needed to perform. He made little to no comments, but I didn't care. I was too agitated and stressed on the inside to take much notice. But on the outside, I was his perfect little shell-of-a-student.

Sometime during the training, I felt another presence watching us train. I didn't like it but I didn't show it. Skye didn't seem to take notice but I could tell he did when his personality returned to the cold hearted statue I've come to know.

We finished training at dusk; I was thoroughly exhausted and I surprisingly slept soundly that night. One thing I knew for sure was that I would trust no one here. And, I would never let my pride down because I was weak, no, I'd let it down fighting.

For weeks on end, this was a set routine. We were never sent on missions for I was yet to be trusted. There were still other members I've never met and I didn't think I'd get the chance soon anyways. The only ones that I had come to know the most, though it was still not much, were Blondie and Puppet Boy.

Puppet Boy took almost next-to-nothing notice of me and I the same to him. The pain I bore whenever he was around was too much and an unnecessary use of my chakra. Sometimes without realizing it, I became slightly (and I mean slightly) sympathetic to him for his past still dawned on me frequently. And I'd be lying if I thought it didn't hurt.

Blondie was just Blondie. He came and went. I didn't mind his company but I didn't really enjoy it either. I guess we were just one big stalemate.

And Skye, well, he was Skye. I still questioned his antics, they were too suspicious not to. I always tried to figure him out but he played the game well. He let me see what he wanted me to see and nothing more. To admit, I felt inferior to him but I didn't show it. After all, we all kept out secrets, mine maybe a little more.

The scary part was, of course, that I was almost sure he had me figured out. And whether or not he had withheld this information to himself was the one thing I'll never know. It was something that would destroy my life if I let it. And I was determined to never let it get that far.

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So how was it? Remember: REVIEW! Or I will hunt you down, tie you up, and force you to watch Care Bears for the rest of your life!

And by the way, I've got a surprise coming up next chapter so stay tuned for that!


	10. Secret Lies

Oh my gosh! i am so so so sorry for not updating when I said I would. I've just been really busy and I feel really bad making you guys wait.

Anyways, like I said this will be a shorter chapter and I'll try to make the next few chapters a little earlier than usual.

By the way, it will annoy me to end that I see people reading but they don't review! Why is that? Too lazy or just forgetful or something? I need you guys to review my stories. It helps improve my self-esteem and confidence. Plus, I need to know how to improve my story!

Please review!

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Toria: though the time skips

We were in the field. Again. The winds were bitterly cold, the grass dying of thirst. Everything was changing. I was no exception. I breathed heavily, the icy air burning my throat. I lay on my back in the field of trampled grass. Skye sat right next to me. Everything that surrounded us seemed too calm for comfort.

I don't know why I did it. I couldn't figure out the answer myself. Somehow, I had begun to trust Skye but that didn't mean I was lowering my guard. Skye was…interesting. I knew he was keeping something from me, heck, we were all keeping secrets. Right now, I knew, was the only time Skye ever spoke to me of anything besides the Akatsuki, or shinobi. And that was because there was something going on with him that I couldn't pinpoint.

I snuck a glance at Skye, of which I had no doubts he noticed but he didn't say anything. The look on his face, act or not, told me he had something to say but I wasn't quite sure I wanted to hear it.

"Toria, what was your last name?" The seriousness of his tone frightened me.

I wasn't sure why he was asking me this. He should know after all. All the Akatsuki know my information, so why exactly is he asking me? And then it hit me. _Oh shit! _I tried to stay calm but to no avail. _How could he? No… _Without a doubt, I could tell he saw my realization on my face. _Crap!_

"What do you mean by 'was'?" I chose my words carefully.

I heard an audible sigh. _Shit. He knows?_

"You know exactly what I mean," he stated in an exasperated tone.

I felt dumbfounded. _How did you know? I erased everything, there's no way he could have figured it out. There was nothing he could go by to even do so. So, how?_

"What are you-?"

"I suggest you stop lying," he interrupted, "We're really getting nowhere."

I pressed my lips in a thin defiant line. I sat there like that, with my arms crossed over my chest. My expression was almost unreadable. _If Skye knows, just how many others -_

"No one. I was merely curious. After all, your Kekkai Genkai is a rarity. In fact, I've only met one other who possessed it. Now, let us answer my question, shall we?"

I couldn't believe this. I knew I couldn't say my supposedly last name without giving way to the fact he is right. And I don't think there's anything I can do to avoid the matter. I inwardly sighed. _Just what have I gotten myself into?_

"How did you find out what my Kekkai Genkai is? I've never used it!" I protested defiantly.

"You make it so obvious." Seeing my blank stare, he added, "I'm not oblivious to your actions around _him._ I am not so ignorant."

It wasn't hard for me to figure out who 'him' was. _But still…_ I grit my teeth in frustration. _After all I've done to prevent this, how could it not be enough?_

"But that's not what I wanted to talk about."

I raised an eyebrow at the suddenness of his statement. Satisfied with my reaction, he continued.

"Leader has assigned us a mission." He let those words sink in.

"I see," I stated plainly. I was still getting over the shock of him knowing the half-truth about me.

"Do you? I truly wonder."

Almost immediately, I narrowed my eyes. _Just what was he getting at?_

"The object of the mission is the hunt down an ancient clan to extinction. It should be easy, however, don't underestimate them."

I could tell he was hiding something. I stared at him in waiting. But what he said next wasn't what I was hoping for.

"We leave tomorrow at dawn. Meet me here and pray you are not late."

I knew he wasn't kidding. Solemnly, I nodded. _So that's it then? He's not going to tell me._ It was hard to keep my disappointment from showing on my features.

"No questions? How unusual." His voice trailed off in thought. But I knew he was prodding me on. He was probably dying to see my reaction to what he had to say.

How typical of me. I took the bait.

"Where are we going?"

"I believe you are familiar with it. It's an ancient village that holds many secrets lost during a ninja war a long time ago. These are the secrets we must eliminate as they prove a threat to our organization."

He paused. I glanced at him impatiently. _Hurry the hell up already!_

"My apologies, I seem to have gotten off topic. The village we seek is none other than the Village Hidden in the Dust."

It's been a long time since I heard that name. And why Pein had picked Skye and me to go was beyond me. _How can the village still stand? It was destroyed so long ago. And wait ... this clan…_

My eyes widened in shock. _Oh shit!_

_

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_

Sorry about the shortness of this chapter. I'm still not happy about my lack of writing but I'll get over it.

Anyways, please please please (etc.) review!


	11. One Sided Reunion

Hey guys! I am really sorry for not updating. It's just that I've been really busy and being the angst-ridden hormonal crazed teenager that I am, I've just been having a rough week.

Anyways, I've made this chapter somewhat longer so please enjoy that. Also, I would really appreciate it if you reviewed and told me how to improve my writing. Even I admit it's sorta scrambled and I need to know what to fix to make it better.

Thanks and please review!

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Toria: reminiscing in the present

_What happened here?_

I couldn't see anything beyond the ruins of my once-called home. There was only dried grass and cracked paths to see. The wind blew hesitantly, as if afraid of disturbing the peace of destruction. I couldn't catch any scent on the wind; it seemed any existence here was long gone before we came.

It pained me a little to return home to nothing but a pile of dust. I didn't show it, even though Skye probably guessed it, but I was feeling a pang of loneliness out here. Especially since I'm standing in front of my old childhood home. This was the place where no ninjas fought out of hatred; this place was safe. At least it _was._

Gingerly, I examined the house for any trace of another ninja. I felt agitated and anxious, walking the halls of my old home. In fact, I was a little nervous. This place reminded me of everything I stood for, or at least what I should stand for.

_Get a grip, _I mentally scolded myself, _the past is the past; you can't change it. _

Oh how I wish I could. I want nothing more but to be released from this prison hold and to return to my family again. _Back with Alec, Syria, someone else who I could be safe with… _I thought dreamily. But of course, these thoughts were considered a sign of weakness and un-ninja like. Still, I couldn't stop myself from wanting to go home.

This was no longer my home. I ran my fingers over the bare shelf and pulled away with quite a bit of dust. There were no furniture, the doors were broken and the windows shattered. It wasn't hard to imagine thieves running amok here.

"There's nothing left…" I heard Skye mutter in the other room.

I knew better than to linger where I'm not wanted so I took his words as a sign to leave. I followed him outside in silence; I had nothing to say. We passed abandoned houses and the village's well, now rusty with age. One question had been bugging me for awhile, seeing as there was nothing left here.

"How exactly will we find them?" I asked breaking the silence, "This place is inhabitable to say at the very least."

"Yes, that's true," Skye stated thoughtfully, though I was sure he had a plan.

I waited for him to elaborate but surprisingly, he kept silent. That left me alone to survey the surroundings. I noticed, with some degree of happiness, the trees outlining the village. They were the same as I remembered. Tall, sturdy, and full of foliage, I knew I would have no trouble flying through them.

"We'll rest here," Skye's voice interrupted my thoughts.

I glanced around and noted we were in an unfamiliar clearing surrounded by jade trees. I nodded and set my bag down by an ancient stump. I studied the fragile-looking tree and using my judgment, I began to climb.

My plain black cloak flew in the wind as I let the breeze lift my shadow-hued mask free from my face. Skye had insisted I wear these in precaution, but they bothered me to no end. It felt so natural to be in these trees; I was painfully reminded of the last time I climbed these trees. It was no surprise to me to find the tree was not weak as it had looked, but strong and rather healthy. Choosing a branch to rest on, I leaned against the rough bark of the tree and observed the world from this view.

I noticed Skye had found a moderate boulder to sit on and plan our next move. I closed my eyes and inhaled the crisp scent of untouched nature.

I also took me less than a second to discover another presence. Well, make that three.

Hastily, I slipped my mask back on and jumped down to where Skye was now standing. I didn't really see the point in wearing a mask, I guessed in case we split up, because Skye was wearing his Akatsuki cloak.

By now, it was more obvious to hear the three ninja making their way towards us. I braced myself for any kind of attack but nothing came. For a moment, it seemed the forest held its breath as silence took its place in the clearing.

"I don't like playing games," I heard Skye call out in a bored tone.

Hesitantly, three figures emerged from the surrounding bushes and gathered in front of us.

The first thing I noticed, was that they wore no visible headbands; making their village origins unidentifiable. Secondly, they all looked familiar, even as they looked the same.

The girl in front, I assumed was the leader, was fairly well built and wore tight fitting shadow-themed clothes. Her expression was one of annoyance as she examined us in return, with her vibrant green eyes. She had short black hair, except for the long thin ponytail trailing down her back.

"Well, neither do we," she snarled as she recognized who we were, or at least, who Skye was.

I noticed the small girl next to her cast a worried glance as she spoke.

This girl was dramatically different than her teammate. She was dressed in the same way but she looked so fragile. Her eyes were a pale green, hidden behind her long bangs. She had a beautiful face emphasized by her shoulder length ebony hair. To me, this was a face that shouldn't belong on the battlefield.

"What is your purpose here?" The taller girl demanded, her tone growing more disgusted every minute.

"To whom am I answering?" Skye replied, looking bored but alert.

"The Shi-" The girl was cut off when the young boy behind her covered her mouth.

"Watch what you say Shio, they are unknown to us," the boy, dressed in similar clothing, hastily advised.

The girl, Shio, only nodded and continued to glare at Skye.

"That doesn't mean you are unknown to us," Skye informed strategically.

I saw all three stiffen with realization. Even I could tell what they were thinking. _The only reason a member of the Akatsuki would know you is if they need something from you, or if they want to kill you. _I had learned this lesson as a child.

"So then, you know who we are. I assume you are here to destroy our clan. Am I right?" The boy inquired, looking only at Skye.

_What am I, invisible? _It was kind of true. None of them even spared a glance towards me. It's like they didn't recognize me as a threat.

"That's right," Skye answered as he readied himself for battle.

In response, Shio gripped her katana tightly and prepared to wield it. I noticed the smaller girl with a look of panic in her eyes as she hesitantly reached for her weapon. The boy on the other hand, didn't move towards his weapons, but merely pointed at me.

I froze. '_Looks like you weren't forgotten,' _some inside voice mocked me. _Shut up._

I snuck a glance at Skye to see he was motionless, except for the slight raise of his eyebrow.

_What the hell is going on? _I wondered before I started to ask for an explanation, but he beat me to it.

"Girl, take off your mask," he simply ordered as I blinked in surprise.

_He shouldn't be able to tell if I was a girl or not. And why is he asking me to take off my mask? _I saw Skye nod faintly out of the corner of my eye and reached to remove my mask.

As the mask clattered to the ground, I heard an audible gasp from the smaller girl.

"Oh Shade…" she murmured barely loud enough to hear.

_Shade? So that's his name? So then, why is he so…_

I couldn't figure this out. Just what was going on?

I glanced at Shade and found him just staring at me with his mint eyes. He had messy black hair and a pale complexion. I noticed he had two swords positioned on his back, one of which he was reaching for.

"So it's true," Shade said with a hint of disbelief and disappointment.

He wielded both of his swords in his hands and only then did it strike me as familiar. I still couldn't understand why but I reached for my kunai anyways. I saw his teammates doing the same and knew a battle couldn't be avoided here.

"Shio, Sierra," he said in a commanding tone. He met their gazes and they both nodded in understanding.

"I'll fight the traitor," he announced while narrowing his eyes at me. He then turned on his heel and jumped into the trees.

Immediately, I made to follow him, as I was sure that was what he wanted. _But why? _I didn't understand any of this and I was hoping Shade would give me some answers. At this point, I didn't know anything. _Why had he called me a traitor? Just who was he? _

I sighed as I leapt through the trees after him. I heard him stop shortly and made my way towards him. The only thought running through my head at the moment was the one that scared me.

_I really have fallen, haven't I?_

_

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_I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I was struggling to make a cliffie but it didn't go so well but that's all I've got. I think I'm dragging this story a bit too far away from my original goal but I'm adapting it (or trying to)

Please review!


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